Guide for strip coilers



' June 29, 1943.

C.'J.KLEIN 2,322,784

GUIDE FOR STRIP COILERS FiledOct. 24,1940 4 Sheets-Shee t 1 INVENTOR C/arencPJ/fie/h Jun e 29*, 1943.

c. J. KLEIN GUIDE FOR STRIP COILERS Filed 001:. 24, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 29, 1943. c. J. KLEIN GUIDE FOR STRIP COILERS Filed Odt. 24, 1940 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 June 29, 1943.

C. J. KLEIN GUIDE FQR STR'IP COILERS Filed Oct. 24, 1940 4 Sheets-Shee t 4 INVENTOR Clarence d/fie/h Patented June 2 9, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE dumr. Foa s'rlur commas Clarence J. Klein, Hollidays Cove, W. Va. Application October 24, 1940, Serial No. 362,595

. Claims. (Cl. 242-78) This invention relates to guide mechanism for directing the leading end of a strip length on to a coiler mandrel.

In the rolling or other processing of metal strip, the disposition of the material as it comes from the mill or other apparatus presents a serious problem. The most satisfactory solution therefor is to coil the strip to facilitate further handling. Coilers have been devised which will receive the leading end of a hotrolled strip and wind it into. a coil. In the reduction of the strip by coldrolling in a multi-stand continuous mill and the treatment of strip in other types of apparatus, however, it is still the practice to start the leading end of the strip on the coiler mandrel by hand, with the aid of a belt wrapper, after threading the strip through the several stands of the mill, or after shearing a completed coil from the strip issuing from apparatus which processes a continuous length.

I have invented apparatus for performing this function without the intervention of manual effort, which saves considerable time in starting a coil, particularly at the exit end of a continuous cold mill because the hot-rolled strip, as initially threaded through the mill, is relatively still and rather difllcult to manipulate by hand, when any considerable length thereof is free. In one embodiment of the invention, I provide converging guide plates between the last mill stand and the coiler. The guide plates are mounted for horizontal movement laterally ofthe centerline of the mill whereby they may be retracted after the strip has been started on the coiler, The'invem tion also contemplates an automatic control system for the guide plates whereby they are actuated simultaneously with the movement of the belt wrapper toward and from the coiler mandrel.

In a modification of the invention, I provide a hinged guide plate between the mill and the coiler, having means for actuating it from operative to inoperative position. I coordinate the control of said means with the operation of the belt wrapper by the control system aforementioned.

While the invention is disclosed herein as applied to the coilingof material issuing from a rolling mill, it is equally applicable to the coiling of strip delivered from any equipment designed for processing the material in the flat, such as a pickling line, tinning line, etc.

Further details of the preferred embodiment and modification outlined above will become apparent during the following completedescription and explanation which refers to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, I

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a portion of the last mill stand in horizontal section;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the plane of line II-II of Fig; 1;

Fig. 3 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section taken along the plane or line I1IIII of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the plane of line IV-IV of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating the control system for the belt wrapper and coiler guide; and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the modified form of the invention applied to a mill of a type diiierent from that shown in Fig. 2.

Referring now in detail to the drawings and, for the present, to Figs. 1 through 4, the last stand or a multi-stand continuous cold strip mill is indicated at It and includes housings ll supported on bed rails l2 and having working rolls l3 and backing rolls l4 joumaled in bearings mounted therein in the known manner. A ooiler indicated diagrammatically at I5 is spaced from the stand I0 and is provided with a rotating mandrel IS on which strip issuing from themill as indicated at s, is adapted to be coiled. A belt wrapper I1 is movable toward and fromthe mandrel it. This device is of known construction and operates in a manner well understood, to start the leading end of the strip length 3 around the mandrel 16, when moved into engagement with the latter, as indicated in solid lines in Fig. 2. When not in use, the belt wrapper is retracted to the position shown in chain lines. The movement from one position to another is effected by a suitable motor and driving connections, all of which are well understood in the art-and require noi'urther explanation here.

An, exit guide plate I8 is disposed between the housings Ii and the stand 10, being carried on a transom i9 secured to the housings, and extends inwardly of the mill toward the bite of thework rolls l3. Guide rolls 20 are journaled in a sup- "porting frame 2| secured to the housings and supported on columns 22 resting on the bed rails The guide of my invention is disposed betweenthe guide rolls 20 and the mandrel II an is indicated generally at 23. I

The guide 23 includes a c-shaped plate 24 overhanging the center line of the mill and secured to a slide 26 by spacer blocks 21. Guide plates 28 and 29 which converge toward the mandrel it are secured to the spaced inner edges of the plate 24 and are braced by gussets 30. These plates provide a throat which, when positioned ymmetrically of the center line of the mill, is effective to direct the leading end of a strip length such as that indicated at s between A fluid-pressure cylinder and piston 36 are disposed on the table 33 and the piston rod 31 thereof is pivotally connected to the slide 26 at An electromagnetic valve 39 controls the admission of fluid to opposite ends of the cylinder and its discharge therefrom, to move the guide 23 from its operative position as shown in solid lines in Fig. 3 to its retracted or inoperative position indicated in dotted lines. It will be apparent that when the guide 23 is in its operative position, it functions to direct the'leadingend of a strip length emerging from between the roll l3 and sliding upwardly along the guide plate l8 and over the rolls 20, into the bite of the belt wrapper-mandrel combination, whereby the starting wraps of the coil are formed on the mandrel. When the coil has been started, the belt wrapper l1 and the guide 23 are retracted until the next coil is threadedthroughvthe .mill.

This avoids interference with the coil as it builds up on the mandrel or its removal therefrom by stripper 23a.

Fig. 5 illustrates diagrammatically a control system which I have invented to coordinate the o eration of the belt wrapper l1 and the guide 23. This system includes solenoids 40 and 4| which operate the valve 39, the belt-wrapper actuating motor indicated at 42, and control switches in the form of push buttons 43 and 44. A starting and reversing panel 42a of known construction is associated with the motor 42 and is provided with the usual starting and reversing resistors and switches (not shown). These de-- vices function in the known manner to start the motor 42 in one direction or the other, upon the closing of a single control circuit for the desired direction of rotation. Such control circuits extend from the control bus in Fig. 5 to the panel 42a throu h the lower contacts of push button switches 43 and 44 or their equivalents and have a common return 420. The upper contacts of these switches control the energization of the I solenoids 40 and 4|.

Assuming that the belt wrapper l7 and guide 23 are in the positions shown in solid lines in Figs. 2 and 3, they may be moved to their dotted 'line positions by operating the push button 43. The upper contact thereof closes an obvious energizing circuit for the solenoid 4| and the lower contactcloses a circuit 421' which includes the common return 420 for starting the motor 42. The reversal of the position of the valve 39 causes the cylinder and piston 36 to retract the guide 23 and energization of the circuit 42f causes the motor 42 to retract the belt wrapper l7. When the guide and belt wrapper have been fully retracted, the push button 43 may be released. Suitable protective devices such as limit switches for the belt wrapper motor will also be incorporated in the control system but are not illustrated therein since their nature and function are well known. When it is desired to restore the belt wrapper and guide to their operative positions, before starting the next coil, the push button 44 is actuated. In the same manner as Fig. 6 is adapted for use in connection with a skin-pass mill, one stand of which is indicated at 50, such as disclosed and claimed in Patent 2,287,380 granted June 23, 1942, jointly to me and E. W. Rieger, for Rolling mill.

A tension device 5| including rolls 52 and 53 .journaled in housings 54 serves to draw strip s from the stand over a guide plate 55 and a billy roll 56. Curved guides 52a and 53a are disposed adjacent the rolls 52 and 53. Pressure rolls 51 and 58 cooperate with the rolls 52 and 53 in the manner of pinch rolls.

The strip s is started upon a coiler mandrel |6 by the aid of a belt wrapper H, the same as in the previously described form of the invention.

In order to start the strip 5' on the mandrel l6 without manual handling, I provide a relatively fixed guide plate 59 carried on a cross bar 69 extending between the housings 54. A relatively movable guide plate 6| is hinged to the guide plate 59 at 62 and is adapted to be moved from the operative position shown in solid lines in Fig. 6 to the retracted or inoperative position indicated in chain lines.

A fluid-pressure cylinder and piston 63 are pivoted at 64 to a fixed bearing, illustrated as a casting seated on the mill foundation. The piston rod 65 of the cylinder 63 is pivoted to the guide plate 6| at 66; A valve 61 similar to that shown at 39 controls the admission of fluid under pressure to opposite'ends of the cylinder 63 and its discharge therefrom.

It will be apparent that when the guide plate 6| is in the operative position, the leading end of the strip s, after emerging from the stand 50 and being guided around the rolls 52 and 53 by the curved guide plates associated therewith, slides upwardly along the guide plates 59 and 6| and is directed by the latter into the bite of the belt wrapper cooperating with the mandrel 16. As in the case of the embodiment first described, the belt wrapper I1 and guide plate 6| are retracted after the starting wraps have been formed on the mandrel l6. The control system shown in Fig. 5 may be employed for the operation of the belt wrapper and guide of Fig. 6 in precisely the same manner as above described with respect to the embodiment of strip guide illustrated in Figs. 1 through 4.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that the invention is characterized by important advantages. In the first place, the leading end of a strip which has been threaded through a multi-stand continuous mill is guided directly to the coiler mandrel without manual handling or the loss of time incident thereto. The operation of threading the mill is thus considerably expedited. A further advantage of the invention is that the guide which I provide between the last stand of the mill or the exit tension apparatus such as that shown at 5| and 56', is retractible so that after it has performed its function, it may be moved to an out-of-the-way posiand a modification in'ventionor the scope wraps thereon. vantages, the apparatus my invention is relatively simple and corporated in existing mills without-materially tion' during the rolling I length: of thestrip and the stripping otothe coil. A further advantage is the coordination which I provide by the co trol system illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. between the operation of the guide and thebelt wrapper which cooperates with the coiler mandrel in forming the starting the foregoing adinexpensive and may be inaltering the set-up thereof. It is, furthermore, adaptable to both a reducing mill such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in which the strip is delivered on a level above the coiling mandrel, and tea skin pass millwith a delivery shown in Fig. 6, in which'the strip is delivered from the tension device at a re Although I have illustrated and described herein but a preferred embodimentot'the invention thereof,'it will be understood that the underlying principles or the invention may be embodied in forms other than those illustrated, without departing from the spirit of the oi the appended claims.

I claim:

'1. Apparatus-rot starting strip tron! striptreating apparatus 'on a coiling mandrel comprising a belt wrapper adapted to cooperate with means mounting said mandrel, a .guide member,

' said member for movement from operative to inoperative position, means for actuating said member from one of said positions to the other.

means for moving said belt wrapper to and from cooperative relation! to said mandrel, and 'common means controlling said two last-mentioned means. 1

2. Apparatus for guiding strip from striptreating apparatus onto a coiling mandrel comprisinga belt wrapper adapted to cooperate with and coiling of the, full treating apparatus to a said mandrel, a'guide member, means mounting moirementdrom strip-guiding said member for pos tior to an out-ot-the-way positiongpoweroperated means effective to move said member from one position to the other, power-operated means effective to move said belt-wrapper into and out of cooperative relation to said mandrel, and common controlmeans for both said poweroperated means.

3. Apparatus treating apparatus to a for guiding strip from stripq coiling mandrel having a belt wrapper adapted to; cooperate therewith, comprising spaced guide plates extending to a point adjacent said mandrel and the beltwrapper when in. cooperative position relative thereto, a transverse plate to which said guideplates are secured, guides extending laterally from the path of the strip, and a slide movable in said said transverse plate being mounted on said slide.

' 4. Apparatus for guiding strip treating apparatus to. a coiling mandrel having a belt wrapper adapted to cooperate therewith, comprising a guide throat directed tangentially of said mandrel, a support for said throat adapted to overhang the path-or the strip, a slide on which the support extending transversely of said said slide is movable, and means for reciprocating said slide in said ways so as to move said throat from a posi ion in said path to an out-oithe-way position.

5. Apparatus for guiding strip from stripcoiling mandrel having a belt wrapper adapted to cooperate therewith, guide throat directed tangentially of said *m'andreL a support .for adapted to overhang the path of the strip, a slide on which the support is mounted, and ways extending transve y of said path in which said slide is movable.

CLARENCE 3. mm.

path *in whichsald throat 

